USA/Central Park 03.17.2019

Heh, Pitwaal actually ordered Charles Leclerc to get out of Sebastian Vettel's way!🙂

It’s funny how much effort goes into protecting certain drivers.

Richard Walker38 said:There is absolutely zero chance Ferrari lets Charles Leclerc overtake Sebastian Vettel. If he even tries, they'll just tell him to back off.

Heh.

mellowtiger83 said:Heh, Pitwaal actually told Charles Leclerc to get out of Sebastian Vettel's way!🙂 Like they even have a choice in the matter.

Huge mistake on their part, they really should've just let him pass.👎

Valtteri Bottas is absolutely schooling Lewis Hamilton 🙏

The guy’s actually out there trying to pull this off on soft tires 🙏

I wonder why Ferrari is hesitating so much with their pit strategy. Maybe they just aren't seeing what everyone else is seeing?😵

Honestly, Charles Leclerc would absolutely smoke Sebastian Vettel if he actually had the chance. 🤦

come on Charles, get him that pole position!

When was the last time we saw a +3 lap lead in a race this clean?

The sheer dominance of this Mercedes is insane, especially seeing how Valtteri Bottas is absolutely dusting everyone out there right now! 🙏

+ Ferrari completely fell apart after that first race. 👎

Man, how clueless can you actually get over at Ferrari? 🙏

They could've easily gone for the hard tires, but they're honestly just too dim to even realize what was staring them right in the face.

Valtteri Bottas 🙏 🙏 🙏

Max isn't even close to catching him at the end, just awful... 👎

Alright, let's run a poll to see who everyone actually thinks is the best driver on the grid right now

2 - 1, one win for Mercedes...

I’m honestly really happy for Valtteri Bottas after that absolute nightmare he had at the end of last season. That was a solid opening race for him. It’s such a shame about how messy things are over at Ferrari; they really should have let Charles Leclerc get past Sebastian Vettel. Max Verstappen had a great race too, though it’s a bummer about that one excursion while he was chasing down Lewis Hamilton—that’s exactly what cost him the second-place finish.

darkmarlin16 said:it’s honestly baffling how clueless the folks at Ferrari are 🙏

they had a chance to grab an FL, but I guess they were just too oblivious to realize what was right in front of them.

It feels like a total group of absolute idiots is running that pitwall. 🙏🙏

They basically had a 40-second window for a free pit stop for Charles Leclerc.🙂

darkmarlin16 said:the incompetence over at Ferrari is staggering🙏

they had the chance to grab a win in FL, but they’re clearly too dim-witted to even recognize an obvious opening

🎉, plus they're holding Charles Leclerc back + their pace is abysmal + Red Bull and Max Verstappen are playing a completely different sport + they can only dream of touching Mercedes + this season is already a total write-off

Richard Walker38 said:I’m honestly so happy for Valtteri Bottas after that total disaster at the end of last season—that was a really solid opening race for him. Such a shame about that Ferrari mess, though; they really should've let Charles Leclerc get past Sebastian Vettel. Max Verstappen had a great run too, just a bummer about that excursion while he was chasing Lewis Hamilton—it cost him that second-place spot right then and there.

Yeah, Hamilton has been on fire since yesterday🤣

A Catholic in a slower race car, sitting just a second ahead of Max Verstappen... this season is going to be a nail-biter.

So, did you guys actually find a spot big enough to park all those race cars? 🙏 🤦

mellowtiger83 As stated by:
Ha! The pit wall actually had the nerve to order Charles Leclerc to back off from Sebastian Vettel!🙂

So many people, yet so few are actually looking out for anyone else.

This is only Charles Leclerc's first race behind the wheel for Ferrari, and frankly, he needs to understand that following team orders is non-negotiable. Does he really think he can just ignore the strategy? He has to listen to the team.
Is it not curious how our collective perception shifts so erratically? When Mercedes performs with precision, we are quick to shower them with praise and declare their engineering superior, yet the moment Ferrari hits a bump in the road, the criticism is instantaneous and unforgiving. Why is there such a glaring double standard in how we judge these two giants? 🤦

Is it even remotely possible to comprehend the sheer dominance we just witnessed? Valtteri Bottas essentially handed five different World Drivers' Champions their orders by pulling away with a staggering 22-second lead. How does one even begin to quantify such a gap in modern racing?
The second driver finally showed some teeth today, clocking an incredible 1:25:580 in Formula 1! 🙏🙏🙏
Is there anything more transparent than Lewis Hamilton weeping over the radio, desperately insisting that Formula 1 belongs to him? 🤣
Was there ever any doubt? Max Verstappen absolutely dismantled the four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel.

Is it even remotely plausible that Honda possesses a superior Power Unit to Ferrari? 🤔

As for the relationship between the Americans and Ferrari, we have to face reality: Red Bull Racing is going to catch them at some point during the season. They possess an absolutely exceptional package right now. Furthermore, I find it incredibly problematic when Toto Wolff persists in spreading misinformation regarding Red Bull Racing, much like the way he continuously targets Ferrari.

The current standings for the teams: 1. Mercedes-Benz.
2. .............
3. Red Bull Racing
Is there any end in sight for the persistent instability within the Ferrari camp? One has to wonder if the strategic decisions being made at the pit wall are driven by logic or merely by a desperate attempt to react to the chaos unfolding on the track. When you observe the current state of the Ferrari order, does it not become painfully clear that they are consistently fighting against their own shadow rather than their direct competitors?

It seems Mattia Binotto is already feeling the heat; one can only wonder how much longer he’ll actually be holding the reins at Ferrari before they decide it's time for a change.